11 Killed as Bomb Blast Hits Iran Army Parade

A bomb blast through an army parade in Iran left 11 killed and 47 wounded at the 30th anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war.

The blast occurred at 10:20am (6:50am GMT) merely 50 meters from the parade podium in Mahabad, a town situated in the northwestern region of the Azarbaijan province and home to both ethnic Kurds and minority Sunni Muslims.

There have been several clashes between the Kurdish rebels and the Iranian security forces in Western Iran due to the freedom struggle of the Kurdish ethnic population operating from nearby areas in Iraq.

The governor of Azarbaijan has made a statement on national television after the event, holding foreign elements responsible and saying: “This act has foreign origins. Unfortunately, America and its allies are present in the region and their support for counter-revolutionaries and hypocrites has been proven.”

The event was one in a serious of nationwide parades commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, showcasing Iran’s military prowess by exhibition of the nation’s weapons. The parade in Tehran had several long-range missiles and unmanned bomber aircraft as the main attractions.

Iranian chief of staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi claimed that Iran's arsenal was for defensive purposes only. Iran frequently finds itself at the receiving end of accusations of nuclear proliferation by the USA and Israel, along with the threats of military action against the nation, despite denials by Iran of having such a program in place or any ambitions of having one in the future.